By Adeniyi Adedeji, Ilorin
Professions involving lots of moving around, like journalism, expose practitioners to health hazards and hence, journalists should be on their guard and ensure that they make their health top priority.
Kwara Commissioner for Communications, Harriet Adenike Oshatimehin, gave this advice at a health talk programme; which was part of the activities to mark this year’s Press Week of the Corresspondents’ Chapel of the Kwara State Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ.
Oshatimehin averred that journalists need to go for health check-ups as they go round on daily basis to gather information for disseminations to the general public.
The NUJ Chapel is marking a week-long activities for the year 2020, which holds at 1the union’s Press Centre, Offa Road, GRA, Ilorin.
The commissioner said, “Many atimes, because of the pressure of their work, journalists don’t usually have time to take good care of their health.”
noting that it is only when they are pronouncely indisposed that they realized how much they have not paid good attention to their health, she emphasised, “It is only when they are well, that they can disseminate information.”
She lauded the Chapel for putting up such a well laid out programme that was quite educative and professional.
The Keynote speaker at the event, the Deputy Chairman of the Kwara State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, Dr. Aderibigbe Adebayo Ayodele, posited that the roles of journalists, particularly, the dissemination of information was quite vital in the society.
Dr. Ayodele said most people don’t pay attention to their health simply because they don’t have time or don’t see it as very necessary to do.
He admonished that no matter the importance of an assignment to journalists, once their health couldn’t permit them, there is nothing they could do to achieve or meet their duty obligations.
He added that if people could find it mandatory to check and service their vehicles regularly, it becomes even more mandatory to check and attend to their health at all time in order to stay healthy.
He revealed that several sick people visit hospitals late and this most times make their cases complicated by the time they go to the hospital.
Addvising against relying on anagesics or local herbs instead of visiting hospital, Dr Ayodele advised people to adopt a good life style and be moderate in whatever they eat or drink, because of its great effect on their health.
He also enjoined journalists to engage in bodily exercises and double-check their facts when disseminating health information to the public.
